The whales and dolphins at Vancouver Aquarium just can't seem to catch a break. Even the city's new bylaw that bans breeding and introduces new, independent public oversight of the Stanley Park attraction won't offer much relief for the captive cetaceans. Because, as it turns out, there never was a bylaw after all.

It's time to rethink our relationship with animals. We can begin by demanding effective laws from our governments guaranteeing the Five Freedoms for all animals in Canada. By doing this, animals may begin to become visible to us; they may matter.